Having game files become corrupted on Steam is a common issue that can prevent games from launching or cause crashes and other problems. Fortunately, Steam provides some easy tools to verify and fix corrupted game files.
Checking Game File Integrity
The easiest way to check for and fix corrupted game files is to use Steam’s built-in verification tool.
How To Verify Game Files
- Open your Steam client and go to your Library.
- Right-click on the game you want to verify and select Properties.
- Go to the Local Files tab and click Verify Integrity of Game Files.
Steam will now scan the game files and check for inconsistencies or corruption. This process may take a while depending on the size of the game.
What Verify Game Files Does
The Verify Integrity process checks your game files against the master copies held by Steam. It will identify any files that are missing, corrupted, or otherwise damaged.
Steam will then automatically download replacements for any corrupted files. This helps fix problems caused by damaged or missing game files.
Fixing “Disk Write Error”
A common Steam error when updating or verifying games is the “Disk Write Error”. This is often caused by permissions issues or a full hard drive.
Potential Solutions
- Free up disk space on the drive Steam is installed on. Steam needs sufficient space to update games.
- Check folder permissions – Steam requires full read/write access to update game files.
- Add an exception for Steam in antivirus – Some antivirus software can interfere with Steam’s ability to update games.
- Disable any download restrictions – Programs limiting bandwidth may prevent Steam from updating properly.
- Try defragmenting the hard drive to optimize file storage.
Re-starting the download or verification after trying the above may resolve the disk write error.
Reinstalling Games on Steam
If verifying game files does not fix your issues, the next step is to reinstall the game.
How to Reinstall a Steam Game
- Delete the local game content by right-clicking the game in your Library and selecting Delete Local Content.
- Go to the Store page for the game and click Install. Steam will re-download the game files.
Reinstalling will ensure you have a fresh set of game files in case there are problems with the original install. Make sure to back up any saves before deleting a game.
Troubleshooting Other Issues
Verifying files and reinstalling games will fix most corrupted file issues. Other potential solutions include:
- Update graphics drivers – Outdated GPU drivers can sometimes cause conflicts.
- Check for Windows updates – Gaming issues are sometimes fixed in Windows updates.
- Update DirectX – Get the latest DirectX libraries to avoid conflicts.
- Check game forums – See if other users report the same issue and solutions.
Corrupted Steam game files can often be quickly fixed. Verify files, reinstall games, and troubleshoot other system issues to get your games working again.
